Heart surgeon reveals symptoms that mean you should seek medical help

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Heart surgeon reveals symptoms that mean you should seek medical help

Dr Jeremy London explained exactly when you should be worried

When it comes to looking after your heart, there are plenty of things you can do to keep your ticker, well, ticking.

Not smoking is a huge one, as well as avoiding alcohol, keeping a healthy diet and exercising regularly.

You know, all that really boring stuff that annoyingly actually works.

It's a very good idea to keep an eye on your heart health as heart disease is one of the biggest causes of death, alongside cancer.

While you might think of heart disease as something to worry more about as you get older, this is also not entirely true as younger people can still suffer heart attacks.

But aside from trying to live an active and healthy lifestyle, what can you do to keep an eye on your heart health?

One heart surgeon has listed a few warning signs to watch out for.

The doctor shared some things to watch out for (Yuichiro Chino/Getty stock photo)
The doctor shared some things to watch out for (Yuichiro Chino/Getty stock photo)

Dr Jeremy London has more than 25 years of experience as a cardiovascular surgeon, and shared on social media some of the biggest things to watch out for, stressing that this is not medical advice.

In a video online, he opened up about a common occurrence - 'skipped beats'.

"We've all felt it, that sudden pause or thump in your chest that makes you wonder if something's wrong," he said.

The doctor explained that in the majority of cases, a palpitation is probably alright, but you should watch out for some other signs.

"The good news is that most skipped heartbeats are harmless," he said. "They're usually caused by premature contractions, extra beats, they come from either the top chambers of the heart, the atria, or the bottom chambers, the ventricles.

"In healthy individuals, these are very common; they typically don't require treatment, and they don't mean that you need to restrict your activity."

However, under some circumstances, you should see a doctor.

He said: "If the feeling persists, or you have symptoms like lightheadedness, shortness of breath, passing out, or, of course, if you already have a history of heart disease, then it's important to get checked out."

So, one skipped beat is probably fine, but if it happens often, and if you feel out of breath or lightheaded, then you should see a doctor to make sure everything's okay.

Of course, being aware of your history is also important, and this might also include family history.

Things like sweating, chest pain, and an overwhelming feeling of anxiety can also be symptoms of a heart attack.

If someone is having a heart attack, the faster they get to hospital, the better their chances of recovery.

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/drjeremylondon

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